A digital video recorder (DVR) or personal video recorder (PVR) is a device that records video in a digital format to a disk drive or other medium. The term includes stand-alone set-top boxes and software for personal computers which enables video capture and playback to and from disk.
DVRs provide several enhancements to similar devices such as VCRs, including convenient “time shifting”. Additionally, a PVR enables “trick modes” such as pausing live TV, instant replay of interesting scenes, chasing playback and skipping advertising. Most DVRs use the MPEG format for encoding analog video signals.
As used herein, “time shifting” is the recording of programming to a storage medium to be viewed or listened to at a time more convenient to the consumer. “Chase play” is a time shifting facility of personal video recorders. It allows a user to simultaneously watch, stop or pause live television while continuing to record a program to its conclusion. “Instant replay” is a feature of DVRs, enabling a user to quickly review recently rendered video, “Pausing live TV” is a feature of PVRs that enables a user to stop the video and display a still frame. Often, the user may resume the video at the point the video was paused. “DVR” shall refer to both digital video recorders and also personal video recorders.
Notwithstanding the rapid and expansive development of video recording technology, little consideration has been given to the amount of power consumed by DVRs when a user schedules a number of broadcast events to be recorded. Power consumption of DVRs is quite significant considering that many households have at least one DVR either playing and/or recording broadcast events every day on a regular basis. Moreover, there has been no solution provided for minimizing power requirements in networked DVR Systems.
Thus, there is a need for an improved system and methodology for controlling the amount of power consumed by networked DVR devices in recording and playing broadcast video events.